International Court of Justice rules in Thailand and Cambodia dispute the hindu temple site

Yesterday the International Court of Justice of beech issued a decision on the request for interpretation of the judgment of 15 June 1962 in the case concerning the Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand). (Full text of the decision; Summary of the judgment; Press release).  In 1962, the ICJ ruled in a border dispute that is the Temple of Preah Vihear (now the UNESCO World Heritage site) into Cambodian territory and ordered that "Thailand is under the obligation to remove any army or police forces, or other guards or caretakers, stationed by it in the temple, or in its vicinity".  Yesterday's decision clarifies what is meant by the area in the "vicinity" of the temple. As described in a report by the voice of America:

The 17 judges of the World Court's unanimous ruling says that all the raised land where ancient Khmer hindu Temple is belongs to Cambodia. While adjusting some of the disputed border, the decision leaves unresolved the sovereignty of much of the 4.6 square kilometer area in the vicinity of the religious compound...

The ICJ decision rejects some territorial claims in the area made by each country so it is not a complete victory for either side...

Within hours of the ruling, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of Thailand appeared in a speech televised nationwide, saying that the Court had taken the position of his country into consideration and that Bangkok should work with Phnom Penh to resolve outstanding issues.

The territorial dispute led to an exchange of gunfire and dozens of deaths in 2011.